By Paul Nicholson
January 11 – The Institute of National Anti-Doping Organisations (iNADO) statement calling for a ban on all Russian participation and hosting of international sporting events – which would include the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup and 2018 World Cup – has been described as “strange” and “beyond the scope of their activities” by Russian minister of sport Pavel Kolobkov (pictured).
By Andrew Warshaw
January 11 – CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani has given another strong hint that the first 48-team World Cup could be jointly staged by the USA, Mexico and his native Canada.
January 11 – Chelsea are going to win the Premier League, Real Madrid will win Spain’s La Liga, Bayern Munich will top the Bundesliga and Juventus will champion in Italy’s Serie A. In France PSG will get knocked off their perch by Monaco for the Ligue 1 title.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 11 – FIFA appears to be no closer to a solution to the increasingly fractious dispute in the Middle East and specifically the issue of Israeli lower-league clubs based in the occupied West Bank.
January 11 – Asian Football Confederation President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa has welcomed FIFA’s decision to expand the World Cup to 48 teams saying it can only benefit the development of Asian football.
By Paul Nicholson
January 11 – New York Cosmos continued their rollercoaster ride with the announcement of a new majority owner, US cable television entrepreneur Rocco Commisso. The news comes days after the team announced it would participate in the NASL next season alongside after the US Soccer Federation granted the league Division II status.
January 11 – Plus500 will remain as the shirt sponsor of La Liga’s Atlético Madrid at least until the end of the 2017/18 season. No figures were announced for the sponsorship renewal which will see Plus500’s logo on the club shirt when it moves to its new 68,000 capacity Wanda Metropolitano stadium later this year.
January 10 – Despite losing the battle over FIFA’s decision to expand the World Cup finals, the European Club Association (ECA) says it is still vehemently opposed to the idea.
By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
January 10 – It’s official. Despite strong opposition from Europe’s clubs, the World Cup will be expanded to 48 teams as of 2026 after FIFA’s new ruling Council decided unanimously today to open up the finals to 16 more countries in a major victory for FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
January 10 – With the Premier League breaking for FA Cup matches last weekend, the clubs’ twitter activity saw a slight decline though the number of new followers to clubs saw little impact with Manchester United putting on 76,000 new followers and Arsenal 62,800.
By Samindra Kunti
January 10 – Zimbabwe and Uganda have both faced financial problems that at one point looked to threaten their participation of the African Cup of Nations, but the two countries are now set to play at the tournament in Gabon.
By Paul Nicholson
January 10 – Tomorrow the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) opens their annual conference in Los Angeles, the largest soccer convention in the world and the largest coaching convention of any sport worldwide. More than 20,000 participants are expected to attend, an increasing number of them international visitors.
January 10 – FIFA’s ‘Best’ awards might have had a very uncomfortable European-only feel about them in their male nominees category – incredibly not one nominee came from club football played outside the continent – but the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) did see sees one notable success.
January 10 – Just a few days after being granted Division II status in the US, the United Soccer League (USL) announced how its 30 teams will divide into Eastern and Western conferences for the 2017 expanded 32-game schedule.
By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
January 9 – As widely anticipated, Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo was duly crowned FIFA’s World Best player at a no-expense-spared gala in Zurich on Monday but the glittering awards ceremony – rival to the Ballon d’Or from which FIFA recently disassociated itself – was marred by a fierce attack on Barcelona for snubbing the world governing body’s inaugural showpiece event.